Dakota Krout - Dungeon Born (The Divine Dungeon Book 1)

The downside to using a Runed versus an enchanted item was obviously that you needed to provide Essence to it, in order for it to function. This is where the Beast Cores would potentially come into play. With Mana being a far more potent source of energy that would last far longer, I could see why people would wait to get Mana accumulators set before going to the expense of creating really good ‘Runed items’, as correctly and permanently inscribed items were properly named.

I had some time before the next party would come to fight, so after resetting the place - not hard as the last group barely made progress - I tried to apply the enchantment to the daggers I could make. I was quickly frustrated, as I could not directly integrate the Rune into the pattern. I could splice creatures together for goodness sake! Did I not have enough knowledge to cut a pattern into a chunk of metal?! Oh. Wait.

A flash of inspiration struck, and I ‘grew’ a dagger in the Boss room. Then, with infinite patience and precision, I formed the most accurate lines possible, by creating acid molecule by molecule onto the blade. A new group had entered the dungeon and cleared the first room by the time I was finished with my newest creation. Now, to test it! I extended a few lines of Essence into the Rune, and... It flared to life!

Under my watchful gaze, the edge of the blade constricted at the molecular level, forming tighter bonds along each edge. Along the entire blade, tiny imperfections fixed themselves, leaving no space for blood or gore to find a foothold. It had worked! Now it would never need to be sharpened, and a quick flick of the blade would cast off all viscera that it accumulated.

Now for the dangerous part, as I might lose all of my effort. I absorbed the dagger and looked at the pattern that appeared in my mind. Yes! I could now directly create this dagger, with a Rune attached! I called it a ‘Honed Steel Dagger’, and I was very proud of my work. Turning my attention to the fighting happening in, oh my, the third room already? I quickly and gleefully took control of a large Basher and made a concentrated attack on the group attacking me. Bashing into the legs of the least armored human - as the creature’s namesake suggested - the archer stumbled and I was able to do some considerable damage to him before his pals finished off my remaining defenders.

I watched the man cry in pain. I casually informed Dani.

“Mmm. That sounds dirty ! What do you mean?” Dani lecherously inquired.

I breathed a snort at her odd sexual humor.

“Ah. Got it.” She seemed less interested now that she realized I wasn’t playing along and making a sexual reference.

I watched the man sob on my floor as he writhed around. I questioned distractedly, mind back on my new dagger.

She looked at them through her connection to me. “I doubt it. Plus, they’re already healing him.”

Enraged, I turned my attention back to the group, and watched as another lightly armored man directed wood-type Essence, specialized earth and water that is, into the man's leg; which I assume knitted the bone back together as he was soon able to stand up. Then, walking with a limp, he and the party moved into the tunnel toward the next room.

I gasped in fury.

“Your Boss Mob can heal by hurting people, so why is this a surprise?” Dani did not seem to understand my indignation.

I huffed, unable to form a proper response.

“I will, thank you .” She replied primly.

They attacked my Boss, the Bloody Bane, with everything they could muster. I directed a few Bashers into the fray at critical times, knocking them off balance long enough for a spike to land in an arm, or a vine to whip someone across the helm. The fight lasted much longer this time around, since the group was already tired and in pain.

Finally, the Boss collapsed. I had failed to take them out, but had still gained some important knowledge, so I dropped a silver coin for each of them, as well as the coveted holy symbol pendant thingy. Though lightly poisoned, the men still were wildly excited. The archer whose leg I had broken nearly wept, and kept repeating ‘I just knew it would be worth it!’ I was confused by this. Why were they so happy? I demanded of Dani. She informed me that the currency system was such that one hundred copper coins was worth a silver coin, one hundred silver coins were worth a Gold coin, and one hundred Gold coins were worth a ‘Platinum’ coin, whatever that was.

Apparently, I had drastically overpaid these guys. Silver and copper were easy to make, so I wasn’t worried about it until Dani informed me of what the consequences may be,” If everyone thinks you are going to be worth a month's pay for an hour of fighting, they will come in and kill absolutely everything over and over, just looking for a way to avoid working elsewhere. Humans can be rather… enthusiastic in their greed.”

I winced at this,

“I agree, and am glad you realize it.” Dani watched the men who were wandering around the room.

Each of the men who had taken a thorn and become poisoned pulled out a vial and drank something. Then the man with the plant affinity worked for a while to get his team healed up enough to stop their bleeding as they relaxed and cultivated for a while.

I muttered suspiciously.

“Probably an antidote for the poison.” Dani whispered, since the men were so close and her voice was audible if humans paid attention.

I tried to keep my curiosity under control, but couldn't manage it.

Dani couldn’t refuse an opportunity to educate me. She glanced at the humans focused on their Chi spirals, then moved into a furiously whispered lecture. “No, actually all of them can heal. There is a solid reason they don’t all do it though, apparently the problem is that they feel the element used. So, being healed by a fire cultivator is not that pleasant, as it tends to feel like your body is being cauterized. Earth grinds really badly, as if your bones were being crushed. Cool and soothing water cultivators are sought after, and apparently plant or wood feels like roots or worms squirming through you. Since he is a wood cultivator, he is not the ideal healer for a group this size, but most likely he was the only trained healer they could find.”

She had said ‘every type’ after all.

“Celestial healers are called clerics, and are usually a part of the church. They are actually the most effective healers, but traveling with them comes with strings attached. Infernal users… I doubt they would heal anyone but themselves, but I think their version of ‘healing’ hurts worse than getting the wound originally would.”

We watched the men cultivate for a while before eventually getting up, stretching and leaving. They were the last group of the night, allowing me to focus hard on cultivation and the concepts I had acquired over the last few days.

That was the night when I broke into F-rank nine.

Dale woke up quickly, feeling something amiss. Something was wrong; there was a threat to him in the area. For several weeks his team had been going into the dungeon at first light, and Dale was becoming stronger, his battle-trained senses more aware to impending danger. Slipping from his bed, he moved stealthily to the tent flap. It began to slide open, and the grinning head of Hans slowly peeked into the room. Stepping into the room fully, a bucket of ice-cold water became visible.

Dale shuddered internally, he had only been woken up a few time with that water, but each time it was worse. Last week the water had ice in it somehow! It was mid-summer! Ice! Dale’s eyes narrowed as he prepared his counter attack, he carefully reached down and flipped the water back onto the startled Hans.